Valve for internal combustion engines



Jan. 24, @967 D. L. SICKLESTEEL VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Jan. 10 1966 W N 15m UK. DONALD L. 5/0/(4 57664 VMQMW A r TOE/V6 2 United States Patent 3,299,869 VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Donald L. Sicklesteel, 120 S. Wall, Mount Vernon, Wash. 98273 Filed Jan. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 519,572 5 Claims. (Cl. 123-90) This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and in particular to the valves used in such engines, whether for controlling intake or exhaust.

Poppet type valves commonly used in such engines raise from their seats in a direction at right angles to the general plane defined by the valves seat, and close similarly. Gas flows past the opened valve only by spreading outwardly about the valves periphery, and then inwardly between the seat and that periphery. The valve itself constitutes an obstacle in the direct path of the gas, and the narrow opening between the periphery of the valve and its seat obstructs free flow of the gas. By the present invention, utilizing a valve which oscillates bet-ween its open and its closed positions, the valve in its open position interposes the least obstacle to direct flow of gas into or from the cylinder, for it can be generally planar and disposed when open with its plane more or less aligned with the direction of gas fiow, yet when closed it effectively seals off the cylinder for most eflicient usage of the force of the combustion. The free flow thus achieved most thoroughly scavenges or fills the cylinder, and makes for improved efiiciency of the engine.

The valve of this invention is preferably of a particular D-shape, and its axis of oscillation is located in a special manner, all as will be explained more fully hereinafter. This particular shape, and the location of the axis of oscillation, requires a particular formation and arrangement of its seats and complemental seating surfaces, yetthese can be reground from time to time, as necessary.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a representative embodiment of the engine and valve, and modified forms will be suggested or obvious as this specification progresses.

FIGURE 1 is in part an elevation and in part a section through a cylinder and its valves, illustrating actuating mechanism for the two valves.

FIGURE 2. is a view in the nature of a plan view of a single valve, taken substantially along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of a valve per se.

The engine may be considered as a four-cycle internal combustion engine that differs from conventional engines of this type primarily in its intake and exhaust valve, or that might differ only in one or the other such valve. The engine block 9 is of suitable design, with cylinders open at the top and closed by a separate cylinder head, or as shown, by manifold branches 91, 92, one of which is part of the supply manifold and the other of which is part of the exhaust manifold. For convenience, the manifold 91 may be considered the exhaust manifold. Water jackets, gaskets, tap bolts, and like parts would be used and located as is conventional, but have been laregly omitted for the sake of simplicity.

Each cylinder or its applied cylinder head would he formed with ports for communication with the respective manifolds; thus the port 93 may be considered the exhaust port, and leads from the cylinder space 90 near its upper end, directly into the exhaust manifold branch 91. Close to the interior wall of the cylinder head, surrounding the port 93, is formed a valve seat 21, 22, complemental to the valve 3 that will shortly be described. The manifolds diverge from the axis of the cylinder, although ideally each would be directly in line therewith.

The valve 3 can be considered as generally planar, particularly at its interior surface, and in plan, as seen in 3,299,869 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 FIGURE 2, it is generally of D-shape. It is pivotally mounted, intermediate its opposite edges, and along a line that parallels the straight bar of the D, and that is located as nearly as is convenient to the general plane of its interior surface. As shown the valve 3 is pivotally mounted by trunnions 30 that must be of a size adequate to absorb the forces to which the valve is subjected. It oscillates on those trunnions between an open position (note the dashline position of the valve at the right in FIGURE 1), wherein it is as nearly as is possible in a plane aligned with the movement of gas between the cylinder and its manifold branch, and a closed position (as at the left in FIG- URE 1), wherein it cuts off communication between the cylinder and its manifold. The angular relation of the manifolds and the cylinder necessitates some compromise in the alignment of the open-valve with the direction of flow.

To the extent that the plane of the Opened valve is aligned with the direction of gas flow, the valve is presented edgewise to the gas flow, and olfers the minimum of resistance or obstruction to the free flow of gas. It also presents a port area 93 of maximum size for that flow. The ideal disposition would .be to align the manifolds 91 and 92 with the axis of cylinder 90, but practical design considerations locate the two manifolds at opposite sides of the cylinders axis, hence each manifold is angled relative to that axis. To the greatest extent possible, then, the valves are each aligned with the direction of gas flow, and when fully open each valve presents itself more or less edgewise to such flow, and in minimum degree opposes such free flow. When the valve is in its closed position it effectively blocks all gas flow.

The valve 3 and its seats 21, 22 must be adapted to the oscillating character of the valve. One of the seats, 21, that is curved and distant from the straight bar of the D- shape, is arranged so that the valve will seat when moving downwardly or inwardly, and the portion of the valve which is complemental therewith is similarly arranged to seat thereon. In other words, that edge of the valve is ground at its interior surface to seat inwardly at 21. The opposite edge of the valve, along the straight bar of the D-shape, is ground at its exterior surface complementally to the inwardly facing seating surface 22. This will leave a portion of the valves periphery and of the seat un ground, in the vicinity of the trunnions 30, but the fit can be sufficiently tight that no appreciable leakage occurs there, or the axis of the trunnions could be relocated to coincide with the juncture of the seating surfaces 21, 22, and of the valve surfaces that cooperate therewith.

Actuation of the valves in predetermined timing and sequence can be effected by any suitable means. For example, a cam shaft 4 may be journaled on the cylinder head, intermediate the intake and the exhaust valves. Cams 41, 42 control intake and exhaust valves, respectively, and effect oscillation of one end of the rocker levers 43, 44. The other ends of these rocker levers engage and rock valve arms 34, fast on the trunnions 30, through an angle such as to open the valve to the extent indicated above. Springs 45 close the valves. Any other suitable valve-actuating mechanism may be employed.

Sealing means between the trunnions 30 and the cylinder block 9 would normally be employed (O-rings, for example), but have not been shown, to simplify the drawing, and because sealing means at such locations are conventional.

What is claimed is:

1. An internal combustion engine comprising an engine block formed with cylinders, and a cylinder head closing one end of the cylinders and formed with intake and exhaust ports, valve means for closing such ports, at least one set of said valve means comprising a plate of a size and shape to close its port, means supporting said plate for oscillation along a line transversely across the opening and intermediate opposite edges of the plate, but adjacent the general plane of the opening, betwen a closed position and an open position, in which open position the plate lies in a plane generally aligned with the flow of gas through the port, the edges of the port at opposite sides of the axis of oscillation, for engagement by opposite surfaces of the plate, being formed as seats, and the complemental edges of the plate being formed to seat thereon, and means to oscillate the Valve plates in predetermined sequence.

2. An internal combustion engine as in claim 1, wherein each valve plate and its port is generally of D-shape, the axis of oscillation being located parallel to but offset inwardly from the bar of the D, the plates edge along such bar being formed along one surface of the plate to seat, and the plates edge along its curved side, but at the opposite surface of the plate, being also formed to seat.

3. A valve to control intake to or exhaust from the cylinder of an internal combustion engine through a generally planar port in the cylinder head, comprising a plate pivotally in said head mounted for oscillation between a closed position wherein it substantially coincides with the plane of the port and an open position wherein it lies in a plane generally aligned with the flow of gas through the port, the axis of oscillation being located intermediate opposite edges of the plate and adjacent the plane of the port, that edge of said plate that is inwardly of the port when the plate is in open position being shaped to seat against the interior periphery of the port, and the opposite edge of the plate being shaped to seat against the exterior periphery of the port, the respective peripheral seating surfaces of the port being complementally shaped.

4. A valve as in claim 3, wherein the plate is generally of D-shape, and the axis of oscillation is parallel to but ofiset in the plane of the plate from the straight bar of the D.

5. A valve as in claim 4, wherein the straight bar of the D constitutes the edge of the plate that is inwardly swung when the valve is in open position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,397,585 11/1921 James 123-90 X 1,542,617 6/1925 Guy et a1 123-81 1,639,217 8/1927 Dufwa 123-81 1,744,798 1/1930 Price 251--305 X 2,011,641 8/1935 Kruse 251305 X 2,622,574 12/ 1952 Butterworth 123--9O 3,097,633 7/1963 Klein.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

AL LAWRENCE SMITH, Examiner. 

1. AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE COMPRISING AN ENGINE BLOCK FORMED WITH CYLINDERS, AND A CYLINDER HEAD CLOSING ONE END OF THE CYLINDERS AND FORMED WITH INTAKE AND EXHAUST PORTS, VALVE MEANS FOR CLOSING SUCH PORTS, AT LEAST ONE SET OF SAID VALVE MEANS COMPRISING A PLATE OF A SIZE AND SHAPE TO CLOSE ITS PORT, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID PLATE FOR OSCILLATION ALONG A LINE TRANSVERSELY ACROSS THE OPENING AND INTERMEDIATE OPPOSITE EDGES OF THE PLATE, BUT ADJACENT THE GENERAL PLANE OF THE OPENING, BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION AND AN OPEN POSITION, IN WHICH OPEN POSITION THE PLATE LIES IN A PLANE GENERALLY ALIGNED WITH THE FLOW OF GAS THROUGH THE PORT, THE EDGES OF THE PORT AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE AXIS OF OSCILLATION, FOR ENGAGEMENT BY OPPOSITE SURFACES OF THE PLATE, BEING FORMED AS SEATS, AND THE COMPLEMENTAL EDGES OF THE PLATE BEING FORMED TO SEAT THEREON, AND MEANS TO OSCILLATE THE VALVE PLATES IN PREDETERMINED SEQUENCE. 